Pizza Night, Weekend, and Shoutouts

Picture of Dar Poeta

            Two nights ago my roommate Marni’s parents were in town.  They are the second parents to visit and basically everyone in the program has parents that are coming to visit.  They took all of our roommates out for pizza.  Mother and Father it looks like you have an expectation to live up to.  My roommate Tara parents are getting in this weekend and my other roommate Maddy her parents are getting in the next week.  We went to a really good pizza place called Dar Poeta.  It is located in Trastevere and it is listed in the Rick Steves guide so it is really popular.  Luckily, we went early around 6:30 so we did not have trouble finding a table.  I still have not adopted the Italian late dinner routine.  I get way to hungry to wait until 8 or 9 at night.  On the menu they gave a brief description of the pizza.  Many people take credit for the origin of pizza.  At the Last Supper Jesus broke the bread, at that time it had to form focaccia.  The Romans prepare the “mense” kneading spelt flour with water and without yeast.  Than they cooked it on the red-hot stones.  With the conquest of Egypt, the Romans imported the yeast that was added to the dough of “mense” obtaining a product like present pizza.  The word pizza is derives from “pinsa,” which comes from the Latin verb pinsere, that mean to crush, break, and mince.  The pizza has its origin in Naples back in June 1889, when Raffeale Espositio owner of the pizza restaurant “Pietro il Pizzaido” cooked a pizza from Kind Umberto and Queen Margherita with colors of the Italian flag: green (basil), white (mozzarella cheese) and red (tomato).  In honor of the Queen he names it “pizza margherita.”  Needless to say the pizza was delicious we ordered five different kinds for the table along with salad and wine.  The pizzas were called Parmigiana (tomato, mozzarella, auberhines, parmesan cheese), Bascaiola (mozzarella, mushrooms, sausage), Patafoccia (mozzarella, potatoes, sausage, cheese cream), and the Bufala (tomato, pachino, raw bufaloa cheese, basil.)  Needless to say the meal was delicious and received my stamp of approval.  It was weird seeing green aka salad on my plate for an appetizer because I have not eaten salad since I have been here!  Although it is just never as satisfying without ranch dressing.  I love ranch dressing and which I could dip it in my pizza but that is a really American thing to do.  Yesterday I went to the Spanish steps with my friend Matty and she got a pair of black boots.  The newest fashion is over the knee boots.  I am not able to pull it off but some fashionistas look really cute in them.

             I have finally figured out the bus system here in Rome.  Driving and parking in Rome can be quite difficult. The best solution for getting around Rome, when you're not walking, is to use public transportation. The bus lines cover the entire city.  The metro can be useful if you're staying near a station. The 2 lines don't cover much of the city but it can be a very fast way of getting around if you happen to be going near a station. The metro also connects with some of the train stations and the Cotral buses that go out of town.  As in any big city, there are pickpockets working the buses and metro in Rome. Some buses are notorious, such as Bus 64 that goes from the main train station, Termini, to the Vatican.  Buses and the metro can be quite crowded making it easier for the thieves to work. If you're carrying a purse, keep your arm over it. A backpack should be placed on your chest or carried by hand, not on your shoulders. In general, you have to be aware of who is around you and try to keep a hand over your wallet or purse.

            I will be heading off to Sicily tomorrow and will leaving my apartment at 11:00 am.  We will be flying and landing in Siracusa and check into our hotel.  I have more exact details of landing time and where I will be staying but it is not good to post that type of information on the internet.  You never know who could be reading this!  Throughout the weekend I with be going to the Ortigia Market for a Tour and Tasting, Pantalica Valley, and the Siracusa Archeological Park.  I looked up the weather and it is supposed to partly cloudy and sunny which is a whole lot better than rain!  I don’t know too much information on Sicily right now except for what I have learned in my history class this quarter.  I do know that Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.  Through history Sicily is considered a crucial strategic location because its strategic location die in large part to its importance of Mediterranean trade routes.  The island was once its own nations known as the Kingdom of Sicily and then in 1860 when there was the Italian unification the kingdom was overtaken and became part of the region of Italy.  One last thing I know about Sicily is that it is sometimes referred to as “Gods Kitchen” and every region of Sicily has its own specialty.  One of the most well know cuisines from there is a dessert called a Canoli which is a fried pastry dough filled with yummyness.  I am sure I will know more about the culture when I get back.  The weather this week in Rome has been beautiful.  I am starting to see a decline in tourism as we head into October.  I have been asked several times in the past week for directions.  That means I am fitting in and look like a local right? Haha

             I also want to thank everyone for commenting my blog and it provides motivation to do the next one.  BOY DO I WISH MY BROTHERS TIM AND PITT WOULD COMMENT MORE.  HINT HINT COUGH COUGH.  Grandma and Grandpa I am excited that we are going to be neighbors.  Walnut Creek is a great city and Broadway plaza is such an ideal location.  Uncle Steve thanks for the updates.  I know the niners and notre dame is not doing to hott but how bout them Giants?  They just clinched the title.  Hopefully they do well against the Diamondback this week.  HUMMMM BABYY.  Two of my best friends here both go to Baylor.  I have been hearing YALL so much!  That is a dead Texas give away.  Mom and Dad I can’t wait for you to visit.  So remember that cooking class I took.  It turns out that the teacher is actually world famous and just teaches these classes for fun.  He has a 3 month reservation wait at his restaurant here in Rome but since I am a college student and went to his class I got us a reservation on November 1^st!

Love, Malia

Amafi Coast

            I woke up early and loaded the bus to Naples.  Basically everyone just slept on the way there and three hours later we all woke.  Our program leader gave us a brief debrief and told us to be careful in Naples because it is known as the dirty south.  It is not the most safe of areas so were told to watch our purses and stay together before boarding the ferry to Capri.  The ferry to Capri was a big boat and the inside remained me a little bit of like an airplane.  The ferry was not full so we were on our merry way.  When we arrived in Capri it was pouring rain.  The plan was to take a bus to the hotel but apparently when it starts to rain everyone decides just to take the day off work.  We were also supposed to take a boat tour around the island of Capri but we were unable to because it was canceled due to rough waters.  Consequently we were stranded since all of the bus drivers and all of the people that work there left work due to rain!  So we waited for about an hour and then finally we got a hold of a taxi service that was running to take us to our hotel.  The drive to the hotel was breath taking.  We had to go up a huge cliff and we sure did but a lot of faith in that driver because we were right on the edge!  It was def a little bit scary.  We arrived at the hotel called Villa Eva.  It was a really cool nice hotel.  In order to get to the room we hiked through what looked like a jungle.  It was tropical and decorated really cute.  There were these really cool flowers that looked like a flower but were green and made of leaves.  I will add a picture of one.  We were able to pick our roommates so I was in a four bed room.  After we dropped our stuff we went up to the main shops of Capri and had lunch.  We were given margarita pizza.  After lunch we walked to a lemonchello shop to have a tasting.  The island of Capri is known for their lemonchello.  Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that originated in Southern Italy. Limoncello derives its flavor from the peels, rather than the juice of the lemon. The resulting flavor is sweet and lemony, without a trace of bitterness.  Limoncello gained popularity more than a century ago, when Vincenza Canale, who operated a hotel on the island of Capri, offered her guests a small glass of lemon liqueur as an after-dinner drink, or digestive. The fame of the lemony nectar soon spread among travelers and guests who visited Capri, including several writers who were instrumental in sharing their love for Limoncello with their readers. Vincenza Canale's original recipe has remained unaltered over the past century, and her descendants continue to produce the liqueur known throughout the world as Limoncello di Capri. Limoncello is very easy to make, requiring only four ingredients: lemons, vodka, sugar, and water.  After hearing all of the fun facts of lemonchello and seeing lemons all over town I was excited to try.  I took my first sip and it was the most disgusting, bitter drink ever!  I coughed and my eyes started watering and well at least I tried it right?  After that we walked through the city of Capri some more.  Capri is a place where you can buy everything and more from the various artisanal workshops and luxury boutiques. There were numerous wine shops, delicatessens and craft shops where you can buy typical souvenirs such as a bottle of white wine made from the island’s grapes and a bottled of prized extra virgin olive oil, the famous colorful and creative Capri sandals and the equally famous canvas and cord shoes.  A bunch of girls got customed made sandals.  I do not need another pear of sandals especially since it was raining I need rain boots!  It was pretty clear I was from California since I do not own a rain jacket or rain boots.  After walking around the delicate town a little more we went back to the hotel to meet back for dinner.  We had a great three course dinner.  The first course was bruschetta, fried calamari.  The second course was seafood pasta.  The third course was a steak.  On top of the steak was a tomato dressing.  It seems like they cant get enough tomato in this country!  Even on top of steak.  The dessert was lemon puff balls.  Basically all of desserts had a lemon zing because Capri is so famous for their lemons.  Dinner lasted 3 and half hours so by the time we got back to the hotel it was already midnight. 

The next morning we woke up and it was pouring!  The hotel had an included breakfast which consisted of croissants and cereal.  Capri was filled with cats everywhere.  I loved it!  There were two kittens that lived right next to our hotel room and they were adorable and we brought them in our hotel room for a little to protect them from the rain.  We were supposed to do the blue grotto and go to Postiano but the fairy to get to Postiano was cancelled due to rough waters.  However, the ferry to get to Sorrento was still open so we had a quick change of plans.  Sorrento was fun and we went and had a quick tour of the town and hiked up this hill and had breathtaking views.  They had a row of all designer stores.   In Sorrento we saw the basicalla of Saint Antionio.  In a crypt below is located Saint Antonino? s grave, a Saint known for its spiritual connection with the sea and its inhabitants.

 We had a delicious sit down lunch.  I ordered a calzone and it was the first time I had one.  The wind really started to pick up so our boat home was an hour late due to rough seas.  I would like to emphasize the word ROUGH.  So after spending the day in Sorrento everyone loaded the boat back expecting it to be like the way there.  The crew men were jokingly asking if anyone wanted a sick back and were have a great time joking around because they knew that we were no aware of just how rough the waters wee going to be in order to get back to Capri.  From the moment we took off the waves were huge!  We were all sitting inside and from the window you could see waves bigger than the boat.  I have never been in a boat that rocked so much and when broke through the waves we could hear the boat crashing against the water.  It felt like our boat would almost be horizontal at some points.  I LOVED IT.  It felt like we were on a giant jet ski.  However, some people did not have so much fun.  About 20 minutes later about 10-15 people were throwing up.  It was pretty gross but I just put my headphones on and enjoyed the ride.  When we got back no body was really hungry after such a ride so we just stopped at the grocery store on the way back to the hotel.  We got nutella, wafers, Pringles, cheetos, and some peaches for dinner to bring back.  We were all exhausted so ate our snacks had pillow talk for awhile and went to bed.  The next morning we woke up early.  I put on my hiking clothes because I was planning on hiking Mount Vesuvus in Pompeii.  Also it was not raining!  We ate breakfast at the hotel and got back on the ferry to get to Sorrento were we were going to bused to Pompeii.  On the bust ride there we were told that mount Vesuvius was closed due to strike so were going to be getting a tour of Pompeii instead.  Pompeii is the Home of the world's most famous volcanic disaster when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., Pompeii is now a significant archeological site that provides an amazing glimpse into the daily life of an average Roman town over two thousand years ago.  Pompeii actually ended up being really cool and our tour guide gave us a lot of information on the ancient ruins.  Since the city was destroyed by a volcano we saw bodies covered in lava stuck to the ground pretty cool.  We also went to a really good pizzeria.  The hand made to pizza right in front of you and then put it into a brick oven.  After spending about 4 hours in Pompeii we started our journey home.  On the way home we stopped at a mozzarella cheese factory to taste and see how it was made.  We watched them make buffalo cheese milk.  It is a mozzarella cheese made from milk of the water buffalo rather than from cow’s milk.  Mozzarella cheese is a sliceable curd cheese originating in Italy. Traditional mozzarella is made from water buffalo (not North American buffalo or bison as many mistakenly think) milk, and its flavor is highly prized. Water buffalo milk is three times more expensive than cow's milk and is costly to ship.  Since these animals are herded in only a few countries, primarily Italy and Bulgaria, most mozzarella is now made from cow's milk. Water buffalo milk is very high in fat and not easily digestible in its raw form. As such, it is used exclusively for making mozzarella and not as a beverage. Mozzarella contains 40 to 45 percent fat, although there are now lower fat, skim versions available.

This cheese is not aged like most cheeses and is actually best when eaten within hours of its making. The process of making mozzarella is called pasta filata, which means the curds are heated in water or whey until they form strings (hence the term "string cheese") and become elastic in texture. The curds are stretched, kneaded until smooth, and then formed into round balls to make fresh mozzarella cheese. Surprisingly it is supposedly really easy to make.  Look it up!  After the tasting we all got on the bus and headed home.  I arrived back to Rome at 11 at night.  On Monday I spent the day studying, going to the grocery store and laundry.  I had a midterm today and it went well.  And that was my weekend excursion!

Running Shoes and Gym Shorts in the Fashion Capital of the World? I think YES

This morning I woke up early to skype friends from home and then got my day going quickly because I needed to get going to the school bookstore which is located near the Spanish steps and then to class my 2:15.  I ate a quick breakfast, put on my running shoes, and headed off to the Spanish steps.  The weather was gorgeous and the entire city was filled with people everywhere and tour busses in every direction all speaking a different language.  In order to get to the Spanish steps I walk down my street called Via Greggorio and then cut through Saint Peters square and walk down the river two bridges and then cross the street.  From there I make a couple of left and rights and then arrive at the Spanish steps also known as Piazza di Spagna.  There were people everywhere going in and out of all of the designer stores.  I quickly realized I was in the fashion capital of the world.  And well, I was wearing running shoes and gym shorts.  Typical.  After I got my books, which was a mistake I should of done that last because two of them were really heavy I window shopped a little and just walked around.  I walked to the top of the Spanish steps and went inside the Church of the Trinity.  I haven’t done too much research yet on the history of the Spanish steps but I would like to do more.  I am getting ready for my day tomorrow though because I need to be up at 5:30 am and I have a midterm on Tuesday that I need to begin studying for.

Pictures At the Top:  I decided to bring my camera along today so I just snapped a few shots on my walk.  The Prada store is just an example of all of the designer stores.  The next is a massive senate building that I passed. The next picture is just along the river that I thought was really pretty.  The last one at the top is a picture of the book store I had to go to.  It was called Angelo American Book store.

Pictures at the Bottom:  A picture of me on the Spanish Steps and  picture of me on my walk to school with the Vatican in the back round.

Resting up for the Weekend

I woke up a little earlier to get my day started.  I had a meeting at 11:45 regarding my Sicily trip.  This trip is planned through my SAI program.  It is cool because we will be meeting up from other SAI students from Florence and Milan.  I also got my schedule for this weekend.  I will be leaving early at 6:45 am on Friday and will get back Sunday night.  Other than that I just had class.  In one of my classes I have to write a 10-12 pages on a given time paper.  Just so happens I wrote a paper last year in MMW on a topic within the given time period.  soooo temping to just use it again! I may potentially be planning a trip to Prague or Amsterdam with a few of my roommates and a bunch of boys from Notre Dame because tickets are extremely cheap right now.  They all know one of my best friends Joey Ricoli.   I also have a really close friend in my sorority that is studying in Prague.  I ate some tomatoes and mozzarella cheese for a light snack and will cook some chicken later for dinner.  I am going to read and catch up on my studies and get a good night rest tonight.  Also, out hot water heater is broken so we will have cold showers for the rest of the week and my toothbrush suddenly disappeared!  Good thing one of my roommates is studying to be a dentist.  She can fix my cavities hahah just kidding.  Ciao!

Tuesday

Today I was sleepy because Jenelle left at 3:30 am in the morning.   It was really fun seeing her but it also reminded me a lot of my friends and life back in San Diego.  Its crazy how quickly a switch just turns off in your head and we just instantly started talking about sd and our friends and about everything going on with them.  Its easy to get caught up on that because that’s what we share in common.  My sorority is really busy with rush right now and on Sunday night was the Welcome back dance.  I was able to sleep until 10 until I got up and went to the grocery store.  I bought some chicken, string beans, and bananas.  My new favorite snack is nutella and banana.  At home I always eat peanut butter and apples.  My history class was boring.  My teacher has a thick Italian accent and talks in the same monotone voice.  He also sweats a lot so by the end of class he has huge sweat marks under his armpits and on his back.  GROSS!  Also it is not a good idea to sit in the front row because Italians don’t use deodorant.  I then went to my next class which is cognitive psychology.  Class today was frustrating because cognitive science is my major at school so I am much more knowledgeable than my teacher in many areas.  She is older so all of her experimental designs and theories are outdated!  For example, in class we were talking about feature detection and how certain line movements cause certain synapses in the brain.  She said this experiment has only been done with cats and monkey when in fact it is a proven experiment in humans as well.  In fact in class at ucsd over summer I participated in a few feature detection experiments and fatiguing experiments (she did not even know what fatiguing meant)  She really needs to go back to school and learn cognitive science because it is so up and coming new experimental design and theories are improved and modified everyday!  The weather was a little gloomy and I think I am going to need to invest in some rain boots soon because I heard that is rains a lot here.  This weekend I will be going to the Amafi Coast.  The first day I will be heading to Capri.  I have been told to prepare for a for a weekend of sun, beauty, and culture! We will depart from Rome on private coach bus and our first stop is Capri. The day includes a private boat tour, including entrance to the Blue Grotto and a walking tour of Capri.  Day two we will be going to the coastal town of Positano and start off with a walking tour. This cliff town is full of colorful buildings in pink, yellow and green pastels and offers a beautiful landscape. The city itself is very small with just pedestrians roaming the streets. Following our walking tour we will have free time.  After our weekend of sun and relaxation in Capri and Positano we will take our private coach bus to visit Pompeii. Located in the bay of Naples and once a thriving civilization, Pompeii was completely buried by ash during an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. I will be able to see and experience what life in ancient Rome was like 2,000 years ago.  On our way back to Rome we will stop at a farm to visit a Caseificio di Mozzarella di Bufala and see how this Italian food staple is made!  My teacher from the cooking class I took emailed us the recipes of the food that we made which I will copy and paste in at the end.  At the top is a picture at the Trevi Fountain.  My friend is Jenelle and she is in middle.  Her friend is Monica on the right.  The next picture is us looking at a map because we got a little lost!

Hello Sally, Alyssa, Maggie, Sarah, Ashley, Harriet, Whitney, Hannah, Taylor, Thomas, Malia, Amanda, Shannon, Kim, Marni & Dorothy!

Here's Chef Andrea Consoli from Le Fate Restaurant in Trastevere writing you about all the recipes we cooked on Wednesday September 15th during your cooking class at JCU Guarini campus.

I've used both measurements in cups and grams to make you all able to reproduce my food as soon as you will be back home. But remember, as soon as you will return to the States, if you are using cups the flour you may find may be more dense than we used so you will have to sift it first before measuring it.

1. Appetizer: Bruschette with tomato and basil

Ingredients (serving 4 people):

- 4 slices italian bread

- 4 tomatoes (the best kind you can get to make bruschetta this time of the year are called Pomodori a Grappolo or back in the US I suggest you to use the Roma Tomatoes type)

- 10 leaves fresh organic basil

- 1 clove garlic (remember to remove the heart of it, as it's heavy to digest when raw)

- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- salt

- pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (or 200°C) and toast the bread until crisp and golden brown for about 5 minutes. Rub each slice of bread with half a clove of garlic, then drizzle with one table spoon of Extra Virgin olive oil (since now I'll call it E.V. olive oil) and season with salt. You can toast the bread in the toaster, but using the oven dries it out more, adding an authentic touch! Be sure to use only a good cold-pressed E.V. olive oil as the dish depends on the quality of the oil.

For your tomato and basil topping you have to chop the tomatoes in small cubes, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with few table spoons of E.V. olive oil and serve.

2. First course: Gnocchi al pomodoro fresco e basilico (Homemade gnocchi with fresh tomato and basil sauce)

Ingredients (Serving for 4 people):

- 2.2lb / 1 kg Potatoes (the one that fits this recipe are called Idaho or Russet potatoes back in the US, or for the other countries just get old potatoes and not fresh and watery ones......remember that the more water is contained in the potatoes, the more flour you need to add and the heavier the potato dumplings will be!)

- 1/2lb / 250g all purpose flour

- 1 egg

- pinch of salt

- 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

- 1Kg / 2,2 lb fresh and organic Cherry tomatoes (the one we used in the kitchen are called Pachino)

- few leaves of fresh organic Basil

- 1 clove garlic

Instructions:

To make the gnocchi you have to cook potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, for about 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes). Drain and slip off the skin, then mash until smooth. Gradually stir in the egg yolk, salt, and enough of the flour to obtain a smooth dough that is just a little sticky (usually the flour I use is ¼ the weight of the potatoes). Now you can take a piece of dough and roll it on a lightly floured work surface into a rope about 2.5 cm long. Repeat with all the dough and you can give the gnocchithe shape you prefer. Usually to give them the gnocchi their special grooves, twist around the tines of a fork.

To cook the gnocchi, put a large pot of boiling water over high heat. When the water is boiling, toss in few tablespoons of salt with the gnocchi. Stir to keep the gnocchi from sticking, and when they'll rise to the surface scoop them out with a slotted spoon.

In the meantime, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute garlic with extra virgin olive oil (remember to leave the skin on and do not burn the oil, just wait for garlic to get brown). Than add chopped cherry tomatoes and allow them to cook and saute. After the tomatoes have cooked down for 5 to 10 minutes, they'll look softer and release some water, add salt. You are able to add chili if you want (but not too much). If you like you can add a cheese touch adding fresh ricotta diced in with the tomatoes. The sauce will look creamy with diced tomatoes and diced ricotta, in the end add freshly chopped basil leaves.

When the gnocchi are cooked, drain it and add it to the frying pan with the tomatoes and mix. Add Parmesan cheese and garnish with basil leaves, serve hot.

3. Second course: Scaloppine di pollo con prosciutto e salvia (chicken scaloppini with prosciutto, cheese and sage)

Ingredients for 4 servings:

- 4 boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

- all purpose flour

- 4 slices prosciutto

- 4 slices soft, mild and easy to melt cheese (the one I bought for you is called Edamer)

- 4 leaves fresh organic sage

- 1 glass dry white wine

- 2 tbsp unsalted butter

- juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

Place the flour on a plate and dip the chicken in the flour, ensuring that each piece is evenly coated. Shake gently to remove any excess flour. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and sautè until crisp, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken in a single layer, making sure the pieces don't overlap. Sautè until brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Then switch side, add a leaf of sage, the the cheese and the crispy prosciutto on top. Squeeze the juice of a lemon, that will add the citrus taste to it and then add the wine and cook until evaporated for about 5 minutes. Add salt and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a heated serving dish. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve hot.

4. Dessert: Nutella Cookies (so called in Italian as Canestrelli alla Nutella)

To make the dough you have to mix 4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 sticks of butter, 2 cups of sugar and 2 eggs, a pinch of salt. Mix everything powerfully on a slightly floured marble surface, and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes to let your butter get less soft and the dough more suitable to stretch and easy to handle. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C for any italian oven that you have in your apartment).

Use a wax sheet paper to roll your dough. Then use round metal forms as the one I gave you and give the right shape to your cookies, (cut a smaller whole in half the cookies to be used as the tops of the cookie sandwich) bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Sprinkle with icing (powder) sugar all the tops, while spreading on the bottoms a light surface of Nutella. Use a pastry bag for the toppings.  

I really hope you all enjoyed the lesson and I wish you all have fun and a great dinner!!! Hope to see you soon at my family's restaurant for the 10 euro student's menu, it was a great pleasure to get to know you all!!! 

Ciao!!!!

Playing Tour Guide

My friend Jenelle arrived in Rome at about 5 at night.  Their taxi driver did not know where my street was even though it was a main street so they ended up just getting dropped off at the Vatican and I met them there.  As I am on my way it started to pour!  By the time I got there I was soaking wet.  The water was warm and I was already so wet it was impossible to get any wetter so I just embraced the rain.  It was fun.  I greeted Jenelle and her friend named Monica and we started on our way back to my apartment.  As the time went on the raindrops got bigger and bigger and the street began to clear.  We finally reached my apartment and got settled inside.  My apartment is big so it was easily able to accommodate my two friends and there are two spare couches so it worked out perfectly.  We went to dinner at a local restaurant that has really good pizza and gelato for dessert. Then, I took them out to show them the town at night.  Today, we woke up at 8 am to get the day started because I wanted to show them around before I had to go to class at 2.  We walked through  St. Petersburg square, then went to Piazza Novanna, the Trevi fountain, and the Spanish steps all in four hours!  I am really starting to get my groundings and know all of the shortcuts to get from location to the next.  Its nice having the river running through the entire city because it is an easy marker.  If your own the river its impossible to get lost.  For lunch we went to my favourite deli near school.  I ordered a hamburger.  It was really good and the sauce was a mixture of mayo and ketchup.  In the us that is thousand island but here it is called pink sauce.  I have some homework to do so they dropped me off at school and I showed them around a little and they just went off to explore the Vatican museum and the Sistine chapel.  I don’t end class until 6 today so I will plan on meeting up with them after!

Lazy Night Equals Early Morning

Yesterday, I woke up a little earlier because I had a skype date with my entire apartment back in SD.  It was nice to see my friends and I can’t believe they haven’t started school yet.  It really an advantage having a quarter system because I am only missing 1/3 of my schools year opposed to everyone else here who has to miss the ½ of the year.  Later, I had school because it was a make-up day so I had class until 5.  After class I came home exhausted because I woke up early to go on a run so I planned on going to bed a little earlier.  Tara and I went to the market to buy some food for dinner.  At the market all of the produce is really fresh and a lot cheaper than in the US.  In the super market there is no such thing as a frozen food section.  Everything is fresh.  I got some bread, pasta sauce, chicken, pepper jack cheese and mozzarella cheese and green beans.  We came back and made a delicious dinner.  Our apartment was quiet since a few of our suitemates went to Florence for the weekend.  Tara, Carly and I then put our beds together and watched a movie and fell asleep early.  I woke up this morning well rested and went on a mission to find a hair straighter.  I knew of this electronic store across town and I was determined to find it.  I put my running shoes on since they are my most comfortable shoes to walk in and walked outside to a very overcast day.  I finally found the electronic store.  The electronic store had everything you could possibly need including, tv, microwaves, washer drier, kitchen appliances, and stereos.  Everything you could possibly want in one store.  I found the straightners and picked out the one I wanted except everything was behind glass.  At he back of the store there was a line of men just standing in a line so I went to the front of the line and directed the first one in line to the hair straightner I wanted.  He wrote me a receipt with the code number.  I then had to go wait in another line and hand someone my code number.  That person went back into storage to pull out my straitner.  I was finally handed my straight and went to the cashier to pay.  I rushed home to straighten my hair because it has been messy and curly for the past 20 days!  It worked great and it feels good to have my hair done finally!  I just ate some crackers and cheese for lunch and am now just anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jenelle!  

Cooking Rule... If at first you don't succeed, order pizza

Last night I had my first cooking class.  The class was on the roof top terrace on campus.  The teacher ‘s name was Chef Andrea Consoli and he owns and operates his own family restaurant.  Earlier that day he bought all of the ingredients fresh at the market for our meal.  The food was incredible and I learned how to make some new things.  The teacher is planning on emailing us the menu and directions again of what we made since it was so much and hard to remember.  The first course was bruschetta.  Bruschetta is toasted bread seasoned with garlic and olive oil, commonly served warm as an appetizer, snack, or side dish. The name comes from the Italian word bruscare, which means "to roast over coals." Many variations of bruschetta exist; adding tomatoes, other vegetables or beans is common.  The simplest form of bruschetta starts with Tuscan bread, toasted either over coals or in a toaster. Rub the toasted slices with a cut clove of garlic, and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Then salt and pepper the prepared bruschetta. As a tradition, bruschetta serves to test the new harvest of olive oil each year.  The next course was chicken.  I learned how to take the bone out of a chicken and then what you call “butter flying it.”  We then sautéed it in a ton of butter and garlic.  After a little sautéing, we put a basil leaf and a piece of cheese on top and waited it for to melt. 

            The next course was hand made gnocchi.  Connoisseurs of fine Italian food know that gnocchi is a small dumpling. In fact, the word gnocchi in Italian means "lump". Gnocchi is most often made with potatoes, though it can also be made from flour, squash, cheese or even polenta. Gnocchi is served much in the same manner as pasta, with sauce or some butter and sage or parmesan cheese.  Gnocchi recipes date back to the twelfth century and are most common in the Northern regions of Italy. We had to skin the potatoes, then mash the potatoes, then roll the mashed potatoes up into like string cheese.  From there we cut individual pieces of gnocchi. 

            The dessert was nutella cookies.  He told us about the rumor of raw eggs and salmonella which makes sense considering I eat cookie dough all of the time and don’t get sick.  It is impossible to get salmonella from the raw egg itself.  The way to get salmonella is from eating a piece of the actual shell.  The dessert was basically a soft sugar cookie topped with nutella.  Nutella is extremely popular here.  It is basically their version of peanut butter.  They put it on everything from toast to fruit.  Kids at school eat nutella sandwiches for lunch.  Nutella is made from a chocolate called Gianduja which is a type of chocolate containing approximately 50% almond and hazelnut paste. It was developed in Piedmont, Italy, after taxes on cocoa beans hindered the diffusion of conventional chocolate.  The exact recipe is a secret closely guarded by Ferrero. According to the product label, the main ingredients of Nutella are sugar and vegetable oils, followed by hazelnut, cocoa solids and skimmed milk, which together comprise at most 29% of the ingredients. Nutella is marketed as "hazelnut cream" in many countries. Under Italian law, it cannot be labeled as a chocolate cream, as it does not meet minimum cocoa solids concentration criteria.

            After the lesson at about 10 I walked home with one of my suite mates Marni.  When we got home my whole house was getting ready to go out so I jumped on board.  I put on a dress and did my make-up.  In all there were about 15 of us.  We called three taxis and went to this bar called Kara Kara.  It wasn’t very crowded but it was fun knowing everyone there.  On the way home the taxi driver tried to rip us off by taking a round about way home.  Luckily we are starting to get our grounding pretty well so we called him out on it!  He was embarrassed and we didn’t pay him the entire taxi fee when we go out because he was trying to take advantage of us and take the scenic route home so he would get more money.  I have class today at 2:15 and I usually don’t have school on Fridays but I have a make-up day this Friday because we get school off for Halloween. In the pictures below the first one is Marni and the second one is my room mate Tara taken from last night.

            

Hump Day (Wednesday)

Today had been just a typical day.  I woke up earlier than normal and ate breakfast.  For breakfast I usually scramble two eggs or have frosted flakes.  Almost every time that I open a new egg carton there are always loose chicken feathers in the cartoon.  Also the eggs are brown, not white.  We had a housecleaner come into our apartment for the first time and it was so gross watching how much dust and dirt she swept off of our floor.  We are having trouble with the washing machine.  The washing machines are so weird here.  They are so intense!  I leisurely walked to class early to go the library to check out my philosophy book to read the first chapter since that was our homework.  I am noticing that in philosophy there is no answer.  It is not like science or math.  Philosophy is just questions on top of questions.  There is no right answer.  In my chapter today they posed the question do we really exist our is life just mirage of imagination.  After clasr I had a two hour break so I walked across the bridge to explore a little.  I didn’t find anything too exciting especially since I did not have too much time because I had to go to class.  Although the entire time on my walk I was thirsty because there is this lemonade stand right outside of school that looks amazing so I was waiting to get what looks like a fresh squeezed delicious lemonade.  Sadly, it did not turn out that way at all!  The guy got a lemon and then squeezed it right in front of me and then just added water.  He then handed it to me and I paid my 1 euro.  The drink was so bitter and no sweetener was added at all!  No such thing as artificial sweetener.  Such a disappointment I couldn’t even take more than two sips.  Other than that escapade nothing too exciting today, class hasn’t gotten difficult and its weird being up close and your teacher knowing your name again.  This weekend one of my best friends Jenelle is coming to Rome to visit and will be staying in my apartment with me.  When I get back to SD she will be my roommate.  She is studying abroad in Israel right now and has a month off for travel.  She is in Greece right now so I will be her next stop!  After class I have a cooking class and after the class we get to eat what we make. yuummmmuyyyyy

Tuesday Morning

This morning I woke up planning to go to mass at the Vatican at 11 since I was unable to go on Sunday.  However when I got there the line was at least two hours just to get into the church!  I have gone once before the weekend before at 5:30 on Sunday and there was no line.  So maybe the weekdays are really crowded with tourists I don’t know.  The weather is still extremely hot and sticky.  Luckily my school is air conditioned so the class rooms are a nice temperature.  When I came back from my walk I finished my new book the Anthem by Ayn Rand.  I loved it and would highly recommend it.  The book was only a hundred pages so it was a really quick read.  The main theme of the book is collectivism and how socialistic thinking causes weakness in a social system.  In the book, the word “I” does not exist and the concept of individuality does not exist.  I finally have internet in my apartment which makes communication much easier.  On my way to class today I am going to stop for gelato.  There is gelato stores literally on every corner.  Some have fancier displays than others and interestingly enough they all taste differently.  My favorite place is this place next to school that noone knows about and the presentation of the gelato is horrible.  They are always rude when I go in because it is clear I am tourist.  I don’t care though because they have the best kept secret of home made gelato.  Tomorrow I am signed up for a cooking class at 6:30.  The class is three hours long and at the end we get to eat our food.  I will keep the blog up to date with what I learn to make.

Siena Day Trip and Weekend

           

 On Friday at 6:00 am I got on the bus to go to Siena.  The bus was ride was three hours and most people just slept.  Siena is just 35 miles south of Florence and located in Tuscany.  When we got off the bus we were immediately greeted by our tour guide who took us around the city and showed us all of the main sights.  Siena’s main square is called the II Campo and it is the heart of the city.  Some people say this is the best square in Italy.  Along the side there are a bunch of restaurants, gelato shops, and the town square.  Siena has red brick lanes that cascade in every direction with little shops all around the city.  Many courtyards, sport flower-dead wells, alleys dead-end at roof-top views.  In the city bathrooms are extremely scarce.  In order to go to the bathroom it costs 1 euro and they are extremely old fashioned.  You have to push this weird button to flush and to wash your hands you push your foot on a pedal on the floor for more water.  A main attraction is the Duemo which is an art-packed cathedral with mosaic floors and statues by Michael Angelo and Bernini.  The cathedral is stripped in white and dark green and it sits on Sienna highest point.  The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and inside the ceilings were extremely tall with colorful art inside and out, decorated marble on the floor and stained glass windows.  For two centuries over 40 artist paved the intricate floor with scenes from the Old Testament, allegories, and intricate patterns.  Next to the cathedral there was a museum and on the top called the Panorama del Facciatone we walked up around 10 stories in a tiny tiny circular stairwell and you could seethe entire view of Siena.

            The first church we visited was the sanctuary of Saint Catherine.  St Catherine is the patron Saint of Siena.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside.  She is the youngest of 25 kids and most known for her charm sincerity, and reputation for holiness, she helped convince Pope Gregory XVI to return to the papacy to the city of Rome.  She was then made a Saint 10 years later and her  body parts were distributed to churches all around Italy.  In this particular church was just her head and one finger!  It was kind of gross her head was like detoriating.  Siena’s main drag is Via Branchi di Sopra and it is a bunch of fancy shops.  Siena is most famous for its dessert called panforte a rich, chewy concoction of nuts, honey, and candied fruits and they claim to impress even fruitcake haters

            For lunch we had the best meal I have had yet.  The restaurant was called Galmore.  We had a group of about 50 people so the food had already been ordered for us.  We were escorted to the bottom wine cellar of the restaurant.  It smelt musty at the bottom but the smell went away quickly.  We were first served bread and wine.  The first course was a thick  but soft and chewy spaghetti with a mushroom and beef sauce a toped with parmassian cheese and pepper.  The next course was apple crisped fall off the bone chicken with perfectly buttered and cooked potatoes.  Finally the desert was a fresh selection of fruit soaked in champagne.  Bon Appetite! We got back to the bus around 5 and got back to rome at 9 at night.  Everyone was exhausted and went to bed.

            On Saturday, my roommate was sick so I decided to get out of the house.  I went for a run to my friends apartment across town who I will be going to Ireland with.  We decided to take the tram downtown to explore a little more.  We went through some of the shops and ended at the Trevi fountain.  The fountain was packed with people being a Saturday.  I still threw a coin in but I plan to go back on a weekday and it wil hopefully be a little less crowded.  That night a few of my roommates and I went to a nightclub on the river called La Macion.  The club was right on the river below Castle San Anigo.  There was some grand gala event going on inside the castle because it was lit up purple with candles all around it and there was a red carpet.  I went up to the guard to ask him what was going on but he just kept saying that is was nothing special and to come back to the castle tomorrow to go inside.  Clearly there was something very special going on he just did not want to tell me what was going on! It was gorgeous and at 1:00 am fireworks went off from the middle of the river.  They were the prettiest fireworks I have ever seen.  It was like a 20 minute long grand finale.

            On Sunday I just had a relaxing day and walked through Travestre.  On our way there we walked through Saint Petersburg square and saw two weddings.  As we were leaving we heard a huge amount of cheering and the pope went on the big screens outside.  He was inside at the Vatican but it was being broadcasted live on the outside screens.  I went to lunch with my roommate Tara at a cute little restaurant.  Since we still don’t have internet there was not much to do so I started a book that my roommates recommended called the Anthem by Ayn Rand.  It is a short book and I am already about half way through and it is really good! 

Sienna Day Trip

I have a day trip to Sienna today.  I am meeting at Piazza Truluzza at 6:30 am to get on the bus so I will give details on the trip when I get back with pictures!

Meat Please

Hello. So eating right is extremely difficult in this city. I don’t understand how people do it. All I have eaten here is pizza, pasta, sandwiches with cheese, and bread. Therefore all I have eaten is carbs. I woke yesterday with a bad sore throat and as I went through my day I realized I need to find some protein and vegetables for my body. Believe it or not is is really hard to come by here. I don’t like fish which is the other part of the Italian diet. Today I am going on a hunt for some protein. I wish I had brought peanut butter because it has such great protein! This weekend I am going to buy walking shoes. I came here with just slippers. I feel like I am in great shape. I walk between 6 and 9 miles a day. My apartment is 2 miles away so just from there and back is 4 a day. During my breaks during the day I sometimes plan to just get lost. I just wander around and discover cute little shops and roam the streets. I really do get lost but it makes it easier to get my bearings and then I have to get back eventually so it all works out. I need to figure out to get to the Spanish steps today because that is where the book store that sells all of the books I need for school is located that is after I find some turkey or real food!